The disclosed invention relates to apparatus for mounting on a mobile vehicle for pruning branches of vines and bushes or trees in a ground growing crop including a pruning blade and means carried on the mobile vehicle for mounting the pruning blade for rotational movement in a predetermined position relative to the vines and bushes. The pruning blade includes a base plate that has a periphery and a center of rotation adapted to engage the means for mounting. Also included is a plurality of cutting members having peripheral cutting surfaces together with means for releasably fixing the plurality of cutting members around the periphery of the base plate in spaced position so that portions of the peripheral cutting surfaces extend beyond the base plate periphery.
In another aspect of the invention, a pruning blade is adapted to be mounted on a rotating drive shaft for use in mechanically pruning vines and bushes of a row-grown field crop, wherein the blade includes a flat base plate having a periphery and a centrally located opening for engagement by the rotating drive shaft. Also included is a plurality of cutting members having peripheral cutting surfaces, and means for releasable fastening the cutting members in spaced relation around the periphery of the base plate so that the peripheral cutting surfaces extend beyond the periphery of the base plate.
In a further aspect of the invention, apparatus is provided for pruning branches of vines and bushes of a ground growing crop wherein a vehicle for traversing the ground has a power source with a driver connected to the power source. A drive shaft is coupled to the driver at one end and has an opposing free end for positioning adjacent the crop. The improvement includes a base plate having a periphery and a centrally located attachment point for accepting and affixing the base plate to the drive shaft free end. A plurality of cutting members has peripheral cutting surfaces. Also included is means for releasably fastening the cutting members in spaced relation around the periphery of the base plate so that the peripheral cutting surfaces extend beyond the periphery of the base plate.